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Mentoring
is a way of teaching that dates back to ancient times. LTA students
and library support staff can benefit from finding a mentor to
help them “learn the ropes” at their library. Here
are some questions to ask yourself before asking someone to be
your mentor.

A mentor is
a person who agrees to help teach and guide another person. Historically,
the relationship between the mentor and the person seeking a mentor
(sometimes called a “mentoring protégé”)
has been voluntary, informal, and mutually-agreed upon. A person
may seek out a specific mentor; or a mentor may select a specific
protégé—the best relationships often happen
with self-selection (rather than through a formal assignment).

First, consider
the characteristics of a good mentor. These may include:

A desire
to help

Broad-based
and up-to-date knowledge and technical skills

Life-long
learner with aptitude for teaching

Strong
people and communication skills

High energy
levels (and not the first person out the door at closing)

Positive
outlook and sense of humor

Good manager
of time and resources

Next, decide
what characteristics you value most in a mentor. This will vary
from individual to individual. One person may value a friendly,
easy-going relationship with a mentor most, while another may
value knowledge and technical skills over people skills.

Determine how
a mentor could best help you, and what you wish to learn. Set specific
learning goals, whether they are tactical (learning how a particular
job is done) or strategic (learning what and why something is done).
Also set a specific time period to achieve your goals.

Effective
mentoring requires time and effort on the part of the mentor.
You will get the most benefit out of a mentoring relationship
when you are proactive and responsible. You can help your mentor
out by:

Deal with
issues
o Understand the overriding mission and purpose of library
o Know why library exists
o Know what library does that other libraries do not or cannot
do.
o Visualize where the library will be in the future